Technical writing interview questions

Before attending an interview for the position of a technical writer, you should anticipate the interviewer’s actions. Be prepared to respond to any issues that might arise. Interviewers always have some hidden agenda behind their questions. Interview questions are more or less designed around the specific position you are interviewed for; however, expect some common questions irrespective of the job description. Below are a few commonly asked questions during a technical writing interview and a few questions you can ask the interviewer.

Interviewer to technical writer

Why do you want this job?

Why do you want to leave your present employer?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

How long have you been doing this type of work?

What kind of training do you have?

What would you do if . . . ? Try and be calm when you answer questions of this type.

What salary do you expect?

What type of documents have you worked on?

What “tools” do you use?

What is your level of contribution to the documentation process?

What domains have you worked on?

What tasks do you perform on a regular basis?

Why should we hire you?

What do you like most about your current position?

Why are you looking to leave your current job?

How do you identify audience types?

How would you style a document to address a technical audience?

Tell me about a software project you have worked on?

Describe your experience with “Job specific topic”.

Are you an expert with “Specific technical communication tool”?

Have you ever created any online help?

Do you have any questions?

Technical writer to interviewer

Who would I be working with?

What kinds of work will I be assigned when I first start?

At what point are technical writers brought into the development process?

What is the best thing about the technical writing department?

How many tech writers do you have?

In general, how is the relationship between the SME (Subject Matter Expert) and technical writers?

What kind of tools do you use?

What is the growth potential for this position in the company?

I hope that these questions will help you prepare well for your interview and get landed with a job that is most sought after around the world. I’m proud to be a technical communicator and hope you will be too.

Good Luck!

Please share your thoughts, opinion and questions if any. Feel free to point out questions that I might have left out using the comment field below. Thanks for reading.